Dawn
by Djesersetepenre-Khare
Summary: Our favorite duos Ulquiorra and Grimmjow return as reincarnations of their former selves for an exciting adventure! Inspiration from Lavender Skies. A little bit of UlquiHime, IchiRuki, and GrimmNel. Rated T for Grimmjow's big potty mouth.
1. Chapter 1

_How long had he been here?_

_The vasto lorde pondered as he stood at the top of a rocky outcropping in Hueco Mundo. He was the most powerful, one of the few and rare hollow lords. _

_Black wings folded against his broad back. His mask was like a horned helmet, with eye slits and two tear like lines from his emerald green eyes, giving him a depressing air. A whip-like tail lashed the air as the vasto lorde pondered. _

_"Hey!"_

_He turned around to see a thin silver haired man strode toward him. His eyes were slits and a grin was plastered across his face. _

_"Who are you?" the vasto lorde growled in a melancholic monotone. _

_"There's no need o' that now," the man said through his grin, almost backing away at the wave of reiatsu released with the sound. He talked with a polite but indirect drawl. "I've come to you with an offer."_

_"Speak," the vasto lorde rumbled. _

_"Well my master, Aizen-sama has something that can make you stronger," the man explained. "Let's say that you might be interested."_

_"Ridiculous," he replied. "Nothing is stronger than vasto lorde." _

_"Well, let's say there is," the man grinned. "By the way, my name is Gin…Gin Ichimaru."_

_"What have I got to offer to you for this power?" the vasto lorde asked perplexed. _

_"Loyalty," Gin replied. "Just loyalty."_

_The vasto lorde turned his head at Gin. _

_"What's ya name?" Gin grinned that sadistic parody of a smile._

_"Ulquiorra Cifer."_  


* * *

Ukiryuu woke up sweating profusely. His former memories haunted him. Of him as the former cuarta espada. He shook his head, muddled with the thoughts about the dream that clogged the workings of his mind. This wasn't the first time he had these dreams…

The tall raven-haired youth crawled out of bed. He had piercing emerald green eyes, and a face that rarely expressed any emotions. His hair was messy and the dark of a moon-less night. This was Ukiryuu, reincarnation of Ulquiorra Cifer.

"Come on Uki, you're going to be late and so am I!"

Today was the first day of his new school. Ukiryuu dreaded this day.

Ukiryuu scrambled downstairs to see his blue haired, icy eyed hotheaded twin brother, Ginjo. Ginjo was the reincarnation of Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez, the sexta espada.

"I'm coming, Ginjo," he yawned as he grabbed his backpack and an energy bar. As he went out the door following his considerably taller hot headed sibling, Ukiryuu took a bottle of water with him.

Ginjo and Ukiryuu were polar opposites. One of them was arrogant and the other mostly modest. One of them was tactical and the other would just charge head-on into the situation at hand. One was calm and the other was violent. It was strange that they were twins, even thought they were as different as night and day.

They boarded the bus, two newcomers. Ginjo and Ukiryuu sat together with their new school items such as binders, back packs, notebooks, loose-leaf paper, and pencil case.

Suddenly, a tall hulking youth strode up to them. "Hey, you're taking my seat!"

The boy was tall, with long black hair, slitted eyes, and a grin on his face.

Ukiryuu had a feeling that he had met this person before, yet he had never seen him before.

"Hey, we got here, first!" Ginjo growled dangerously. "So skedaddle out before I give you something to think about." He began cracking his knuckles.

The thin boy glared at Ukiryuu and Ginjo, and silently left, fuming.

"Heh," a girl went up to Ginjo. She had green hair and gray round eyes. "You fended off Nate easily. I'm surprised."

Ginjo grinned. "Well, I've gotten through a lot of bullies in my time. I guessed whoever that queer can't take his own shit when it's coming back at him."

"My name is Nell," the girl said. "You must be new. I have never seen anyone with blue hair."

"Ginjo. And this is my brother Ukiryuu."

_When it came to girls, _Ukiryuu thought as he had feelings that he had met this person before, _you can count on Ginjo trying to impress them._

"May I sit here?" Nell asked.

"Sure," Ginjo replied.

"So where are you from?"

"We came from Japan. My parents are archaeologist, and they left us in the care of my uncle in America," Ukiryuu muttered.

"They shoulda took us on their little trip thought," Ginjo growled. "School is soooo boring!"

The bus suddenly lurched and began driving.

"These buses are really slow," Ginjo commented non-chalantly.

"This bus is faster than the regular ones," Nell told him. "The other ones are a lot slower."

"Ridiculous," Ukiryuu growled. "These buses are slow…It's a wonder that you Americans actually get to school on time."

"Sheesh, Uki, you don't have to be this negative…" Ginjo muttered fiercely.

"Seems like someone likes Nell," Ukiryuu retorted.

Nell blushed and Ginjo silently fumed next to him.

"Ohh, Ginjo," Nell squeaked. "Your hair is such a pretty color!"

"Yeah," Ginjo replied.

"Did you dye it?" Nell fired. "It looks like the ocean when it is calm! Like the Bahamas! You've been there, have you?"

"Ridiculous," Ukiryuu grumbled as he nibbled on his power bar. "We have never set foot on American soil before we came here 2 weeks ago."

"Aww," Nell muttered. "That's too bad! Ukiryuu-kun! That's what you call a boy in Japan right?"

"Yup!" Ginjo smiled, flashing his too-white teeth. "You can call me Ginjo-kun!"

"Uki-kun!" Nell chortled. "Is it all right if I call you that? Why do you look so gloomy anyways?"

"He's depressing, ain't he?" Ginjo grinned.

Ukiryuu was silent on that matter.

"Maybe it's your parents are always away isn't it?" Nell pondered. "Or maybe 'cuz you moved to the good ole US of A? Ginjo, can I call you Gin-kun?"

"Sure," Ginjo grinned again.

"Trying to impress the ladies now aren't you?" Ukiryuu grumbled.

"Aww, stop being such an old fart," Ginjo growled.

The bus grumbled down the driveway and settled down onto the asphalt of the school parking lot. The students stepped off, some yawning, some talking, and some thinking.

"Ohhh, Ginjo-kun, what homeroom are you in?" Nell grinned.

"Umm," Ginjo scanned the schedule that he received like Ukiryuu in the mail a week ago. "Says 134?"

"Awww," Nell groaned. "That's not my homeroom. Ukiryuu, what about your homeroom?"

Ukiryuu scanned the page with his emerald eyes, "Says 215."

"Yay!" Nell hugged Ukiryuu in a crushing hug while Ginjo glared at him. "We got the same room! Our teacher is Mr. Arzon. You'll like him 'cuz he's really nice! And then we have Ms. Runner…that's our math teacher…"

_She does talk a lot…_ Ukiryuu thought as his normally expressionless face flooded with red. _And ask questions. Are all Americans like this?_

Nell hauled Ukiryuu into the class room. The other students stared at them.

"Hi everybody!" Nell announced. "This is the new student from Japan! Uki-kun!"

Ukiryuu had never felt so embarrassed in his whole life, except maybe the time when he was caught trying to steal some mochi for Ginjo.

Suddenly, he caught the flash of light brown hair. Ukiryuu recognized her, like before, but could not place where he had met her…  


* * *

_He felt pain from his wings, burning pain that simmered to a dull ache. _

_In front of him, the girl, Orihime stood, as his ashes were blown away with the Hueco Mundo wind._

_"Are you afraid of me? Woman?" he says._

_"I'm not scared," she replies._

_"I see…"_

_He felt more of his body dissolve to ashes. Final thoughts raced through his mind. He reached his hand out to touch hers._

_"What is that? What would I see if I cracked open your chest? If I broke open your skull what would I see inside? You humans say the word so easily. Just like—"_

_Then, they touched for that brief moment. A flood of emotions flowed through what was left of his body. Finally he understood what had been nagging him for centuries…_

_"Oh I get it. This is it. This here in my hand. The Heart.__"_

_He felt silent invisible tears run down the tear-like markings on his pale face. He was gone.  


* * *

_

Then, blackness.

* * *

A/N: This is the updated version of the story. I tweaked a little bit around the third so the second and first had to change.

The name Ginjo has been borrowed from LavenderSkies

Sorry, i cant find a name to use!

Reviews appreciated...This is my first story!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

Ukiryuu woke up groaning. He had the biggest head ache ever in his entire sixteen year-old lifetime.

Ginjo was right next to him.

"Eh, so fainting in class is one of your new hobbies, ain't it?" he growled.

"Shut up," Ukiryuu answered back sharply, rubbing his tender head.

"Anyway, why did you faint?" Ginjo asked. He scratched his electric blue hair thoughfully.

"I don't know…" Ukiryuu muttered. He was just as perplexed as everyone else of the reason why he had fainted so suddenly in class. Then, he remembered the light brown haired girl.

"Well you just ruined my reputation at this school with your sissy swoon," Ginjo hissed angrily. He crossed his arms across his chest.

"Shut up," Ukiryuu repeated. He massaged his temples. "I think I might know why…"

"Then spit it out already, bro!" his brother replied icily. "The sooner we get you fixed, the less you'll swoon."

"That girl…" Ukiryuu began.

Suddenly, the door bursted open.

"Uki-kun! Gin-kun!" Nell wrapped her arms around both of the siblings. "I brought some munchies!"

"You mean that girl?" Ginjo whispered into Ukiryuu's ear.

"No!" Ukiryuu replied.

"What are munchies?" the tall blue haired youth asked.

"What?!" Nell shrieked as Ukiryuu winced. "You don't know what munchies are? They're junk food! Comfort food! Things that you can eat! Basically any type of food…"

"Oh," both siblings chirped.

Nell took out bags of food from the tote bag dangling from her shoulder. Potato chips of all flavors, chocolate bars, and even three cups of instant ramen tumbled out.

"Ramen…yummy!" Ginjo grinned as he snatched the ramen.

"Sorry about bursting in here," Nell apologized. "I decided to visit you, Uki-kun. So, how was it fainting? Did it hurt?"

"Afterwards it did, though, but not while having it," Ukiryuu scratched his head thoughtfully and replied. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Three more minutes!" Ginjo announced as he rubbed his hand gleefully for the ramen to cook.

Nell planted herself onto Ukiryuu's bed. Her long green hair flowed down her lithe back.

"So, when are you going back to school?" Nell asked again as she munched on some chips.

"I can return tomorrow, according to the doctor," Ukiryuu answered. Nell was kind of annoying…

This was followed by 40 seconds of unbroken munching of Lays' potato chips.

"Two more minutes!"

The only sound from then was the hissing of the steam from the ramen, and the munching of chips.

"One more minute!"

Ukiryuu buried his head into his hands as he massaged his temples. Oh how he wished he could return to Japan…

"It's ready!"

**Kablaam!**

There was a crashing sound from the floor under Ukiryuu's room.

"Was that the ramen?" Nell asked.

"Ginjo," Ukiryuu said solemnly, "did you fart?"

"Shut up!" Ginjo growled. "I did not fart'n'that was not the ramen!"

Ukiryuu stepped out of bed to investigate. He opened the door and…

* * *

…The thing that stared back him was a monstrosity. It was huge, and had what looked like a bone covering its face. The foul breath blasted from its mouth was fetid, like rotten flesh that had been decaying for several days outside a refrigerator, or something someone didn't flush down the toilet. The thing's talons were sharp and hooked, with black tips the color of the deepest night that gleamed the brightest day. Sharp teeth stuck out of the jagged slash of a mouth.

The thing reached out its claws and swatted Ukiryuu aside.

* * *

Ginjo gaped in horror as he saw his brother fall before that…thing. Nell screamed with horror in the classic horror movie lady screams. The thing moved for them.

The blue haired teen moved in front of the beast to protect Nell but he was swatted aside like a fly. His unconscious body landed next to Ukiryuu's.

Before the thing was Nell.

* * *

The hollow grinned. Three reiatsu soaked souls ready for the taking. The girl seemed to be radiating the most reiatsu, so he made for her first. He opened his gaping mouth as he prepared to eat her…

* * *

Ukiryuu formed a sword with his hand. It was green handled with a green sheathe and eye marking on the hilt. He drew it, and promptly it turned to a white lance made of bone.

* * *

Ginjo was in a darkness.

"What the hell?" he growled. He was so not having one of those sissy faints like his brother! Hopefully he wakes up.

A silvery shape illuminated the darkness. Ginjo peered at the shape until he took its feline form as a panther.

"Do you want to save yourself?" the shape mewed.

"Save myself? From that thing?" Ginjo asked.

"Yeah, what else would you want to save yourself from?" the panther growled, abandoning all politeness and clearly annoyed. "Oh, hurry the hell up already, before you get killed!"

"Well, sure…saving my skin, eh?"

Then, he blacked out.

In the moments before that happened, the thoughts that sped through his mind were, "Oh…I'm beating Ukiryuu on the fainting record…"  


* * *

Nell screamed as the thing went toward her. It was like the stuff that her night mares were made up of, like clowns. Except that this was a sadistic parody of one even sicker than the people sporting grease painted faces, cheesy smiles, pranks, and suits that tried to be funny, but instead was an epic fail.

The thing moved for her, but then it whipped around.

* * *

Ukiryuu was sporting a lance. He raised it to strike the hollow.

To his right, he saw his brother looking confused with a glowing blue katana. Finally, Ginjo had gotten a zanapkutou.

"Ukiryuu," Ginjo growled. "You better have an explanation for this!"

"Apparently," Ukiryuu coughed, "I have."

The hollow snarled with anger and leapt for the twins.

Accepting his natural instinct, Ukiryuu stabbed with his lance.

Feeling something deep down drive him, Ginjo lashed out with the katana.

* * *

The hollow was surprised to see the two humans with zanpakutou and shikais. How did two humans end up with shinigami weapon he did not know, but they were a threat, and threats were to be eliminated. He lunged at the humans.

Unexpectedly, it was met with a spear of green as well as a wave of blue spiritual energy. The green spiritual energy tore a hole through its chest while the blue one lacerated his sides. He screeched with pain.

How dare these puny humans retaliate against him?! The hollow had escaped a hundred years of shinigami just to be brought down by two pathetic humans? He roared in rage and agony as his green blood seeped from its wounds.

* * *

"Wow that is cool!" Ginjo grinned as he inspected the sword in his hand.

Ukiryuu observed the hollow thrashing about in throes of pain. He knew that the hollow was not finished. The wounds that he inflicted with his brother were not enough to kill the thing.

"Ginjo, hit it again with your sword along with me!" he snapped.

They prepared to launch their attack, but a yell stopped them short.

* * *

Renji Aburai, 6th company captain watched the fray with interest. Two humans had successfully used zanpakutous against Piketooth the hollow, who was named after his huge sharp teeth. They had managed to even near-fatal wound the hollow which had taken the lives of over two score shinigamis. How they had gotten it, he was perplexed about it. The captain knew that even though the two possessed strong spiritual power, he believed they were not enough to kill Piketooth. Renji decided to step into the fight.

"Ho, Piketooth!" he yelled.

The startled hollow and teens looked up at the shinigami.

Renji believed he cut a handsome figure, with his red hair swept back, and his black robe fluttering in the wind, accented by the white hakama bearing his company number.

Piketooth snarled at him. The wounded hollow attempted to attack the captain but he was stopped by the attack of Ukiryuu and Ginjo. Piketooth was torn to pieces by the steel-like intensity of the two weapons. Inside his mind, he was angry because he was proven wrong.

"Nice," Renji grinned. "May I ask how two humans like you possess Zanpakutous?"

"Zanpakutous?" Ginjo echoed thoughtfully. The conclusion dawned on him. "You mean this?" He gestured to his katana and Ukiryuu's lance.

"Yup," Renji answered. "They are the manifestations of your souls."

"Cool…" Ginjo said.

"You two are coming with me, I'm afraid," Renji ordered. "How to deal with humans with zanpakutous are beyond my office."

"What?" Ginjo cried. He glared at the red haired captain. "Are you a pedophile? A gay molester? I ain't going with you!"

Renji grabbed Ginjo. "Shut up, big mouth. You are and that's final!"

Ginjo glowered daggers of anger at Renji. "You don't tell me what to do, pedophile!"

Ukiryuu backed away slowly from Renji.

"I'm not a pedophile, you idiot," Renji roared. He grabbed Ginjo and Ukiryuu and popped out a bunny headed candy dispenser. He took out two balls and handed them to the teens.

"Eat it!" Renji commanded.

"It's poisonous!" Ginjo exclaimed. "Don't do it!"

Renji felt his patience run out. He grabbed Ginjo and shoved it into his mouth. Ginjo's soul floated out while his body stood up.

"Hey," Ginjo commented as he inspected his inert physical body. "I never knew I was so handsome."

Seeing the rough treatment given to Ginjo, Ukiryuu immediately ate the candy. His soul popped out of his body.

"The soul candy will serve as you until you come back," Renji explained. "They are artificial souls."

"Where are you taking us, pedophile?" Ginjo whined angrily. "I demand to know!"

"Shut up!" Renji growled dangerously. He dragged them out of the hospital and out into the night.

They stopped at an abandoned warehouse.

"You're staying here!" the captain ordered.

* * *

Captain General Yamamoto listened to Renji's report of the two humans with zanpakutous.

"That is strange indeed," the old man stroked his long weird beard thing. "This is even stranger than Ichigo's case. Humans with zanpakutous…"

"They have high spiritual pressure," Renji reported. "Above average. One of them looks like the cuarta espada. The other looks like sexta. Apparently, they're brothers."

"What are their names?" Yamamoto asked. "

"Ukiryuu and Ginjo Kurosaki."

"How did I guess?"

* * *

A/N: This is the updated version of the story. I tweaked a little bit around the third so the second and first had to change.

Reviews appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three:

Ginjo was floating around in the warehouse aimlessly. "I never knew I can fly."

"Apparently, you can…" Ukiryuu yawned. "When's the pedophile coming back?"

Ginjo shrugged and at that exact time, the red-haired captain flew back into the warehouse. "Don't call me pedophile," he growled. "'Kay, now we got that matter cleared up… You two! Come with me!"

"Where are we going?" Ginjo whined.

"Somewhere!" Renji roared impatiently.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki inspected the excavation from the top of a tree stump. The hot desert sand whipped around his tall figure as he examined the scene. The majestic sphinx rose up from behind him on the bronze desert with the pyramids being framed against the afternoon sun.

"Kurosaki-san!" a tall lanky man scrambled up to him.

"Yes? Did we find the entrance to the true hidden tomb of Khufu?"

"Yes!!!" the man grinned.

"Yo, Rukia!" Ichigo exclaimed. "We found it!"

Rukia, Ichigo's wife dashed over to where the workers clustered around the newly discovered door. It was intricately carved with hieroglyph warnings about tomb robbers and images depicting the Egyptian gods.

Suddenly, a sharp ring split the air. It was Ichigo's phone.

"Hello?" he said into the phone.

"Ichigo?" a familiar voice hit him.

"Renji?" Ichigo made the connection.

"Yes, it's me," the red haired captain growled. "You never told me you had kids."

"I didn't?" Ichigo scratched his head. "Maybe it's just because you didn't listen!"

"Yeah, yeah," Renji mumbled. "But you never told me they were reincarnations of the cuarta and sexta espada!"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Well if I told Soul Society, they might come and take them away because they're espadas."

Renji was silent. Then he said, "Well I know you can't help trying to protect your kids, but they have their own zanpakutous as well their own shinigami powers."

"What?" Ichigo blustered. He already knew that Ukiryuu had a zanpakutou but... "Even Ginjo?"

"Well, after you sent them to America," Renji explained, "They were attacked by a powerful hollow. Then, they got knocked out and when they woke up, they had zanpakutous."

"A hollow!?" the orange haired man said, quite shocked. "My kids were attacked by a hollow?!"

"Well, what do you expect if they had high spiritual pressure?"

Rukia came over with the sound of the commotion. "What? Ukiryuu and Ginjo have been attacked by a hollow?!"

* * *

Ichigo handed his cell phone to Rukia who chattered away about her children's safety. He reminisced back to the time when his kids were born and being raised.

The tall orange-haired man paced impatiently around the hospital waiting room. Sweat beaded on his permanently frowning eyebrows. His hands were clasped around his back.

"Dr. Kurosaki!" a doctor rushed up to him. He looked quite flustered. "Rukia had the twins!"

Ichigo rushed into the room. Rukia was holding two swaddled babies. Their shrill cries rent the air. "Healthy lungs, eh?" he grinned as he examined his offspring.

One had jet black hair, like Rukia's. The other baby had lighter hair, almost with a tint of blue to it.

Sudddenly, a blonde man in an overcoat and hat burst in. "Congratulations, Mr. Kurosaki!"

Ichigo eyes him suspiciously, but Rukia greeted him. Suddenly, he made the connection between the blue haired baby and someone he was not over fond of seeing ever again. The archaeologist grabbed the blonde man. This man had a penchant for annoying him.

"Urahara!" he roared. "Whose soul did you put into my son?!"

Urahara smiled and fanned himself. "Whose soul you say? I have no idea."

"Don't act dumb with me!" Ichigo growled dangerously. "This is Grimmjow, isn't it?"

Urahara's face fell. "I thought it would take you longer to recognize him. I put him into your son, because I believed he could redeem himself from the atrocities he commited as an espada by being your son. He will also be good practice for improving your people skills. After all, you don't go around grabbing people like this!"

"What about the other kid?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh," Urahara said slyly with a wink to his hat-shaded eyes, "He's normal."

The orange haired man glared at Urahara.

"Ichigo," Rukia chirped. "Let's name Grimmjow Ginjo."

Ichigo's eyes soften as his eyes traveled over to Rukia. "Sure."

"What about him?" Urahara asked cunningly, like a fox, while gesturing to the raven-haired baby. "I believe Ukiryuu would suit him."

"Ukiryuu?" Ichigo echoed. He was trying to remember something that came up from the depths of his mind triggered by that name.

"Oh, that's perfect!" Rukia smiled. "Ukiryuu and Ginjo Kurosaki! I have to write to Byakuya!"

Byakuya Kuchiki had retired as 6th company captain in the soul society and moved to America in the last few years. There, he was serving as a calligraphy artist. He was also head of Rukia's Kuchiki family as well as her brother.

Ichigo knew the next few years would be hard…

* * *

Ukiryuu and Ginjo: Age two

"Oww!" the raven haired boy yelled with pain. His blue haired brother grabbed his hair viciously. "Ginjo, stop it, seriously! This stuffed vampire is mine!"

His brother growled angrily. He must have that vampire! "Mama! Uki stole my vampire!"

Rukia sighed. The problems of parenthood haunted her every day since the day her twins had been born. The first few days had been happy and exciting, but then the chores became tedious, and finally when they had learned to speak and walk, all hell had broken loose in the Kurosaki household.

"Ginjo!" the mother scolded her son. "Stop pulling Uki's hair! Uki, is that your vampire?"

"Yes, mama," Uki glared at Ginjo with the intensity of a thousand green daggers. His green eyes flickered to Rukia.

Rukia had always found her son's eyes had been unsettling. They bore through her like two katanas made of emerald. It was as if Ukiryuu could read her mind. Rukia also saw something familiar in his emerald eyes. His jet black hair was as dark as a moonless night or a black abyss. It was always messy, no matter how many times Rukia had combed it.

Ginjo's eyes were like Ukiryuu's. They had the same cold pride as his like a snow leopard's eyes. His eyes were icy enough to freeze fire. His electric blue hair was beginning to have the same spikiness like Grimmjow's.

Rukia continued fixing the breakfast while her sons played. Ukiryuu tottered outside to the garden and began examining the roses that Rukia had cultivated. Ginjo began wandering around the kitchen, snatching food while she was not looking.

Ichigo came downstairs, his eyes brows frowned into a storm. "What's all the commotion?" he growled grumpily. He never liked getting awake early.

Behind him, a thin blonde boy with purple eyes followed close behind. This was Wonderweiss, whom the Kurosakis had adopted. He was also a former arrancar, but he was never violent in the way that arrancars go. Rukia had found him alone in Hueco Mundo and took him home to live in her closet. "Awaogh?"

"Breakfast is ready!" Rukia announced. "I got some waffles from Byakuya. He believes we might like them."

"What's a waffle?" Ichigo asked.

"They're like," Rukia tried to find the right words, "oh, just eat them and try it out!"

"Oww!" a sharp cry rented the air. "Ginjo's throwing food at me!"

_Oh, no!_ Rukia thought. _It starts again!

* * *

_

Ukiryuu and Ginjo: Age four (Also known as the First Kurosaki Annual Barbecue)

That day was a sunny day in Karakura town. Birds were chirping. The clouds harbored no threats of rain.

Ichigo was preparing some meat. Wonderweiss was doing only God knows what. Ginjo and Ukiryuu were playing in the garden while Rukia prepared a table for some invited people by their pool. The guests were coming in. Many people she had not seen in a long time filed in.

Byakuya was first to come in. He was dressed in a casual Hawaiian shirt and swim trunks. The former captain was holding a bulky bag.

"Konichiwa, Nii-sama!" Rukia hugged her brother. "Put the bag down. Must be a hard trip from America, right?"

"Not too bad," Byakuya replied. "Where are those twins of yours? I have a present for those two rascals."

"Ginjo! Uki!"

The two scrambled over. Ukiryuu was spotless, while Ginjo was covered in muck.

"Mom! Uki pushed me into the mud!"

"Ginjo…It was your own fault for throwing the plastic plates as Frisbees into the water…"

Rukia looked and there were indeed many plates floating on the water like albino lily pads. She palmed her face and shook her head.

Byakuya presented the twins with two paintings of their name in calligraphic form.

"Oh cool!" Ginjo grinned, quarrel forgotten. "My name is all pretty like!"

Ukiryuu just muttered a word of thanks and put it into his room.

Wonderweiss suddenly appeared with a grunt.

"Wonderweiss!" Rukia called. "Can you fetch all the plates from the water?"

"Augh!" Wonderweiss nodded and leapt into the pool.

Urahara then came in. "Rukia and Ichigo! How's it going for the twins?"

Ichigo looked at him suspiciously. "You seem to be quite interested in them. Are you a pedophile?"

The blonde shop-keeper shook his head. "No, no! Of course I'm not! I'm just worried about my best friend Ichigo's kids!"

"They're fine! A little troublesome, especially Ginjo. Uki's quiet and rarely gets into trouble," Rukia pushed her husband aside as she answered. "Ichigo! Go grill the meat!"

Wonderweiss then went up to her with the thirty-some plates in his hand.

"Thank you, Wonderweiss!" Rukia patted his wet head. She took the plates. "Now go get yourself into a new outfit!"

The blonde arrancar nodded and left.

Then the last of the guests came in. The barbeque had officially begun!

"Ginjo," Ukiryuu muttered, "move your elbow. You're taking up all the room!"

"Excuse me, but I believe you're the one who takes up all the room!" Ginjo pushed him.

Ukiryuu's elbow landed on his plate which catapulted his salad onto Hiyori. The Vizard retaliated by throwing her spare rib at Ginjo but missed and hit Wonderweiss. Wonderweiss grabbed his shish kebab and speared Love's magazine into the fence. Love grabbed his hot dog and threw it, which hit Byakuya across the face. Byakuya trembled with anger, all ketchup and mustard covered glory with the bun resting on his head, and shot off a wallop of mayonnaise from his spoon at the questioned Vizard. The mayonnaise hit Ginjo square on the nose. The little boy grabbed his chicken finger and threw it back but missed and hit his mother.

Rukia stood up, with chicken finger breading on her clothing. "That's enough!"

The people didn't seem to notice and continued throwing food at each other. Even Ichigo joined the fun.

And officially, the First Kurosaki Annual Barbecue was also known as the Battle of Flying Spare Rib, because that was the first food actually thrown by will.

* * *

Ukiryuu and Ginjo: Age 7

Ichigo was roughly shaken awake by his son, Ukiryuu.

It was the dead of the night, the moon fully visible against the stark black sky. The star studding the black velvet twinkled.

"Dad," he muttered, "I had a night mare…"

Ichigo groaned with annoyance. "A night mare? Aren't you too old?"

"No, Dad," Ukiryuu muttered. "Apparently, I'm not."

"Tell me about it."

"Well, I was being chased by people in black robes. They had big swords and stuff. Then, I felt really angry that they were chasing me and I killed them…"

"Have you been watching any horror movies with Ginjo, Uki?"

"No, then it came to another scene. You were in it, but you were wearing a black robe like the people I killed except it was ripped and frayed at the ends. You also had a white and black mask. Your eyes were gold and black. You had a black katana, with a strange motif on the hilt."

"Tell me more…" Ichigo ordered. He remembered the same scene except it was from his perspective. He had an idea about where this was leading.

"I had wings. And a huge white spear. A white robe and a helmet thing on my head. Then we fought. You were getting beaten really badly after I transformed again, and I shot a black blast and made a hole in you. Then, a girl came over and tried to heal you using something."

Ukiryuu paused for a bit, clearly shaken by the disturbing dream.

"She kind of looked like the picture of Aunty Orihime. Except much younger. Just like you. You woke up, with long hair and a mask with horns. Then, you injured me mortally so I fell down. The a younger Uncle Ishida came over and tried to stop you from killing me, but I kept asking you to kill me, saying that I was worthless for not being able to beat a human. You hurt Uncle Ishida. You were about to kill him, but I stopped you."

Ichigo nodded with understanding. Aunty Orihime had passed away before their birth but they had heard tales of her kindness.

"Then you turned back to normal with no hole. When you woke up, you asked for a rematch. Since I was missing an arm and leg, you asked me to cut off those limbs too. After that, there was a burning sensation in my wings. I was dying. Aunty Orihime came over. I asked her if she was afraid of me. She said no. Then, I was gone…"

Ukiryuu was silent.

Ichigo hugged him. "Come on," Ichigo smiled. "It was just a dream!"

He was answered by silence. Then Ukiryuu buried his face into Ichigo's shoulder and began crying.

Ichigo had never seen his son cry after his babyhood which was around 1 year of age. He had always maintained an aloof and steely composure. To see him break down after such a tiny thing was too much for him.

The archaeologist led his son back into his room and tucked him into the bed. "Try to sleep, 'Kay, kid?"

Ukiryuu nodded, sullenly. The tear streaks down his face reflected blue against the moon and his skin seemed paler in comparison to his normal hue. Ichigo concluded that he looked like someone all too familiar…

Ukiryuu Kurosaki was the former cuarta espada, Ulquiorra Cifer.

Rukia was awakened by the noise. Rukia muttered something to her husband.

"What was that, Ichigo?" Rukia asked.

"Apparently, Ukiryuu is the cuarta espada…" Ichigo exclaimed as he fell into his bed. "Damn Urahara! If I get my hands around him, I strangle him and give him to Mayuri for a test subject!"

"You mean, that…" Rukia began. "Emo guy?"

"You're calling your own son the emo guy then?" Ichigo hissed. "Well, we have two ex-espadas for our kids."

"Well," Rukia said as she settled down to sleep again, "that's great. I knew something looked familiar about those green eyes…"

"Dad, there's a man in my closet!" Ginjo's plaintive cry of fear broke the silence of the room. He ran in, his blue eyes melted into twin puddles of terror.

Ichigo groaned grumpily. "Now what?!"

He picked up Ginjo in his broad arms.

"He has a long green snake…I think it's gonna bite me! It's gonna bite me!" Ginjo wailed.

Ichigo went into the room. The closet was open, and the darkness let reveal a purple light. The archaeologist grabbed Ginjo's baseball bat and opened the door to reveal Wonderweiss?!

Wonderweiss was playing Pokémon on the Nintendo DS. He was holding a long stuffed Rayquaza plushie.

"So that's where you moved Wonderweiss!" Ichigo glared at the arrancar.

"Is that a problem?" Wonderweiss suddenly hissed back icily as he tried to catch an Aron.

"Woah!" Ichigo fell backwards in surprise. "You can talk?!"

"Of course I can, dimwit!" Wonderweiss crossed his arms across his chest and shrilled indignantly. "What did you think I was, a retard?!"

"That," Ichigo and Ginjo replied in unison.

Wonderweiss palmed his face in despair.

* * *

Ukiryuu and Ginjo: Age 10

After that episode, Ichigo persuaded Rukia not to let their kids to be exposed to shinigamis in fear of waking their entire past memories with their spiritual energies. They also decided not to let their children know of their true identities in fear of the same things happening. Three years passed swiftly, with the two spiritual pressures increasing significantly as they grew older.

Ginjo and Ukiryuu were playing on the family Playstation in the family room.

"Die!" Ginjo grinned as he mashed buttons.

"Run away, you idiot!" Ukiryuu punched his shoulder gently. "You're gonna die!"

Ginjo continued attacking the evil zombies, but then that resulted in his death. Soon afterwards, Ukiryuu died with no back-up.

"Fool!" Ukiryuu glared at his brother. The screen blared a "Game Over" and started playing funeral music.

"It was your fault for not saving me at the heal center!" Ginjo retorted.

"Ridiculous!" Ukiryuu raged. "You shouldn't have died first!"

"Apparently, as Stark told me," Ichigo muttered to Rukia, "this was the same kind of relationship that existed between Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. They had conflicting natures and personalities, the like…"

Rukia nodded.

The little fight over the video game ended with both Ginjo stalking silently away back to his room. Ukiryuu went up to Ichigo clearly disturbed.

"Who is Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez?" he asked.

The silence that followed it was heavy. Ichigo did not want to answer the question. _It must be from his memories so that he remembered his former nemesis._

"I don't know."

Ukiryuu's piercing green eyes met Ichigo's. They read him like a book, and he almost flinched at the intensity.

"You're lying," Ukiryuu hissed icily. "Tell me."

Ichigo sighed. He knew it was time. The former shinigami explained it all. About his adventures. About his enemies. About his friends.

Ukiryuu absorbed the information like a sponge soaking up water. He suddenly remembered everything. "I see. That is why you never told us about out former identities. You're afraid of the Soul Society taking us away because we're so powerful."

Ichigo nodded. "You learn very fast."

"That was why I was the cuarta espada, Kurosaki," Ukiryuu replied. "I never got that rank for nothing."

The archaeologist felt a familiar twinge of annoyance. This was the Ulquiorra he knew from his former life. "Hey, I'm still your father. Call me Kurosaki again and I'll make sure you never wish to call me that again!"

Ukiryuu smiled slightly. "Bring it, Kurosaki."

"Tschuss," Ichigo muttered. "Respect for your elders! Treat me like you did to Aizen. You used to patronize him!"

"Yes, Kurosaki-sama," Ukiryuu bowed, turned, and moved into the kitchen to help Rukia with chores.

"Wait!" Ichigo yelled.

The piercing eyes moved directions and faced him. "Yes?"

"Don't tell Ginjo. He is not as responsible as you. That fool would probably spout the truth out all over the place and bring us trouble."

"Yes, Kurosaki-sama," Ukiryuu said and disappeared into the kitchen.

* * *

Ukiryuu and Ginjo: Age 13

Ukiryuu's personality changed the past three years. He began to act in the same manner as his former self, the cuarta espada. The teen spent most of his time locked up inside his room doing god knows what. Ginjo didn't change much.

Ichigo decided to go into Ukiryuu's room to investigate. Today was a perfect day, since his son was at the library. As he opened the door, he felt a barrier of spiritual energy blocking his way. He easily broke it. The father was surprised at his son's self tutoring ability to teach himself to make a barrier so that none of his spiritual energy could get out of the house. When he came in, the scene surprised him more.

There was a zanpakutou laying in the corner, almost hidden by a wrecked bookshelf. It was the sword of Ichigo's former enemy himself, the cuarta espada. The katana had the same green sheathe and eye marking on the hilt. Books were strewn everywhere, scorch marks decorated the walls, and there were a few dents in the ceiling.

Ichigo picked the katana up. It was light. How had his son managed to form his zanpakutou? He wouldn't be surprised to find out a few years later, he would be able to do shikai and Bankai. He never knew how wrong he would be.

"What are you doing here, father?"

The archaeologist turned to find him staring into two forest green orbs. Ukiryuu had come back unexpectedly.

"I was surprised to see that you managed to form your own zanpakutou and get shinigami powers by yourself."

"I was surprised to see you invading my privacy. The barrier I set up would be sufficient to keep in all the spiritual energy released when I formed my Murciélgo."

"You can do Bankai?!"

"Release, Bankai," Ukiryuu muttered, "Whatever you wish to call it. They're both practically the same."

His father nodded with amazement. His son was truly astounding.

"May I ask you leave my domain?" the teen now shinigami muttered.

Ichigo nodded and left. He went straight to Rukia and blabbered it all out.

Rukia shook her head. "You're talking too fast. What did you say?"

The orange haired archaeologist opened his mouth to complain that his wife should listen better but he decided to summarize it. "Ukiryuu can do bankai."

Rukia's eyes opened wide. "What?! At such an age? How can he do it? Where did he learn it?"

"Apparently, he taught himself and unlocked his shinigami powers…"

"I'm so proud of him!"

"Can we let the Vizards train him?" Ichigo asked.

"Since he seems able to take care of himself, I guess so…"

* * *

The next day, Ichigo led his son to the Vizard warehouse where he once trained to gain more power. Ukiryuu recognized most of the faces who had attended the Kurosaki Annual Barbecue.

"Hey, Kurosaki!" a tall blonde man strode up to Ichigo.

"Get away from me, Shinji," Ichigo hissed icily.

"Why all the hostility?" Shinji smiled. "This must be Ukiryuu?"

The teen nodded.

"Well what do you need of me?" Shinji said.

"Teach my son to gain Vizard powers," Ichigo replied bluntly.

"At this young an age?!" Shinji exclaimed and backed away. "No can do. Let him grow up a bit more."

Ukiryuu stepped in to argue. "In case you haven't noticed, I was Ulquiorra Cifer, the former cuarta espada."

"I can tell," Shinji muttered and sat on a chair.

The ex-espada narrowed his eyes into green slits. "Did I mention I learned how to do Bankai by myself?"

"You're lying," the blonde man replied as he ate a cherry. "No one has done that!"

"Do you really want to be proven wrong?" Ukiryuu queried softly, sounding deadly serious.

"Bring it, little boy," Shinji yawned.

"Hachi!" Ichigo yelled. "Put up more powerful barriers!"

Hachi, a giant of a man, began doing so.

Ukiryuu drew his zanpakutou out of thin air. Then he unsheathed it out into its four feet keenness. "Bind…Murciélgo."

There was an explosion of spiritual energy as Ukiryuu was enveloped in fog.

The Vizards stared in awe, awaiting the outcome.

Two black wings unfurled from the smoke dispelling it. Ukiryuu was holding a lance of lightning and a helmet with four horns rested on his head. He was wearing a white robe with a black obi sash.

All who saw Ukiryuu's Bankai were in awe. Learning Bankai at such an age was rare, but even rarer was those who self tutored themselves.

Shinji gaped in amazement. Ichigo felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight of his former nemesis almost reborn.

"I told you."

"How did you do it?" the blonde leader of the vizard gasped in amazement.

"Apparently, I tapped into my former self's memory of what knowledge I had about shinigamis," Ukiryuu explained as he tossed his lightning lance, whom his former self had named Lanza de Relámpago. "I wrecked one of my bookshelves in the process of my first Bankai, so I never did it again inside my room in fear of breaking more furniture. I hoped I could find an open place like this to release it in."

"Okay," Shinji gaped. "I'll train you…"

"That's better now, Hirako-sensei," Ukiryuu smiled.

* * *

On the next day, Ukiryuu trained on the Hiyori Walker.

"What does this do?" Ukiryuu grumbled.

"It helps you build stamina!" Hiyori yelled back from behind a sofa. She was eating popcorn and watching a movie with the rest of the Vizards while Ukiryuu was training.

"What is this thing called again?" Ukiryuu asked.

"It's called the Super Hiyori Walker!" Kensei answered. "Shut up and let us watch this movie in peace!"

"More like the shitty Hiyori walker…" Ukiryuu muttered.

"What did you say?!" Hiyori roared and pounced on Ukiryuu who tumbled onto the ground.

"Oww!" Ukiryuu grunted. He held Hiyori in a half-nelson, something he had learned from watching UFC with Ginjo.

"Get offa me you great lump!" Hiyori protested. Ukiryuu released but was rewarded with a vicious punch to the face that left him with a bloody nose.

"I should've broken your neck when I had the chance," Ukiryuu mumbled regretfully.

"Get back on the walker!" Hiyori ordered massaging her neck.

After another thirty minutes on the "Shitty" Hiyori walker Ukiryuu grabbed Shinji. "I can't bear another moment on that thing!"

The Vizards held a brief conference.

"Should we let him start the training?"

"He'll get consumed by his hollow!"

"Let's call Ichigo first!"

"Will he be able to handle his inner hollow's power?"

Shinji dialed a few numbers onto his phone. "Yo, Ichigo!"

"Yes?"

"Your son wants to start the real deal."

"Let him."

"You know the risk, right?"

"If I could do it back then, then he can! Besides, he learned Bankai by himself. He's one of a kind!"

"Well, you better talk to Rukia about this…"

"We agreed on letting him do Vizard training already."

"Alright then."

Shinji shut of the phone. "Let's start!"

Hachi erected a powerful barrier in a cube around Shinji and Ukiryuu. The rest of the Vizards stood back watching the action.

"Now do the same thing as you did when you were trying to find your zanpakutou's name," Shinji ordered.

"I already knew it when I got my memories back," Ukiryuu replied. "That was how I learned bankai."

"Ehh," Shinji scratched his head. "Hachi! Use the special treatment!"

Hachi lumbered forward. Ukiryuu fell asleep under his spell.

* * *

Ukiryuu woke up. The sky was black. White sand stretched as far as the eye can see. The only prominent figure was a massive domed building and a shadow.

The teen recognized the shadow. "Ulquiorra Cifer," he greeted his former self.

Ulquiorra stepped out from the shadows. He looked like Ukiryuu, except with paler skin and tear like streaks running down his face. His eyes were the same startling green as Ukiryuu's. A half horned bone helmet rested on his messy black hair.

"Welcome to your former world, Ukiryuu," Ulquiorra gestured to the sands.

The raven haired boy had seen this place before. "Hueco Mundo. World of Hollows."

"I know what you want, Ukiryuu," the arrancar said in a monotone. "Vizard powers. For that, you must defeat me."

Ukiryuu nodded swiftly. He drew Murciélgo. "I am ready."

Ulquiorra drew his own katana which was the same as Murciélgo. "It will not be easy, with your soul as forfeit."

"I know," Ukiryuu nodded again.

The two clashed together with a clang of steel.

* * *

Shinji gasped as immense spiritual energy was released. Hot winds blasted him, almost breaking the barrier. A massive cloud of dust rose, shrouding Ukiryuu's form. Shinji readied himself.

A form lunged at him. Shinji parried it with his sword. He drew his hand across his face to bring out his Vizard mask. He would need it for vasto lordes.

Ukiryuu's half human half hollow body was terrifying. What else could you expect from a vasto lorde turned ex-espada? The hollow mask covered his face with a skull like fanged visage. Two horns protruded from his helmet crowning his head. Black wings sprouted from his back. His legs and arms were hollow form, with massive gashing talons that ripped things as if they were air. A whip lash tail swung to and fro, battering the sides of the wall. Ukiryuu roared.

Outside the Vizards watched in amazement.

"Vasto lorde?"

"I guess so."

"What power! I can feel it emanating through Hachi's barriers!"

"You got twenty nine minutes left!"

Shinji braced himself for the vasto lorde's next ferocious assault.

* * *

Inside, Ukiryuu and Ulquiorra had both released. They looked like mirror images of each other, complete with horns, wings, tail, and lances. One had a hollow hole, one didn't.

Ukiryuu was sweating profusedly. He knew his greatest enemy was always himself, since they could calculate each other moves and know what to expect.

Ulquiorra on the other hand was also tired. His reincarnated self had many tricks up his sleeves like changing fighting maneuvers in an attempt to surprise him. A couple of them had worked. Gashes across the arrancar's chest flowed dark blood as it bled.

"Good fight, eh?" Ukiryuu grinned meekly. His body had not gone without wounds. His thigh had been nicked and one arm had been cut to the bone. One wing was ripped at the edges. Ukiryuu tried to block out the burning pain.

The cuarta espada on the other hand suddenly dropped his lance. "You win."

"Really?" Ukiryuu gaped in amazement. "It's only been ten minutes."

"Ten minutes of fighting myself has worn me out."

"Thank you," Ukiryuu nodded gratefully.

"Ridiculous," Ulquiorra muttered. "Why would you need to thank me? After all you did beat me fairly like your father did."

* * *

Outside, Shinji was bone weary. He had never expected a vasto lorde to be this strong. But now, Ukiryuu/Hollow was motionless. Shinji braced himself for more attacks.

* * *

"Who were you in your past life?" Ukiryuu asked as he bandaged his wounds with some ripped linen from the edges of his robe.

Ulquiorra's self healing had left him like the fight had never happened. "Me? I think…The place where I live had sand, a lot of it. A great golden step pyramid rose in the distance."

"Egypt?" the teen asked in shock. "But I thought you were from Japan?!"

"Is Ulquiorra a Japanese name?" the arrancar asked his reincarnation. "I was the son of a general. Grimmjow was in my past life too. He was the Pharoah's son. Orihime was in it too. She was princess of the palace. My father died when I was young. My mother was gone as well, from a disease. I was the only one left, playing in the gardens of the pharaoh with Grimmjow and Orihime. I don't remember her name back then.

"Apparently, I fell in love with Orihime," he continued wistfully. His eyes radiated a calm sadness. "She was to be wed to a wealthy man, under the orders of her father. The princess didn't want to marry him but we declared our love secretly. Somehow, Orihime's father found out and had me executed. She suicided. Grimmjow tried to save me but got killed by a rebel who wanted Orihime's betrothed to the throne."

Ukiryuu could not help but give his heart out to his former self. "So that's why you turned hollow."

Ulquiorra nodded melancholically.

"Well," Ukiryuu said. "I must go. Thanks for letting me win."

"I had to redeem myself to Orihime, wherever she is now. Also, to Ichigo. Good bye, Ukiryuu. May we meet again."

* * *

The hollow parts of Ukiryuu's inert body flaked off. The rest of the hollow parts flaked off except for the mask which remained. The only markings on the bare white were the two tear streaks running down from each eye.

Shinji nodded happily. "He survived."

Ukiryuu strode forward and grabbed Shinji. The blonde man was shocked. Had the hollow taken over the body?

"You ass," Ukiryuu snarled, the jawbones of the mask parting and clacking together. "You never told me what to do! I had to guess that I needed to fight Ulquiorra!"

Shinji smiled sheepishly. "You figured out yourself, right? That's all there is to it!"

Ukiryuu glared at him. "I'm outta here." He dropped the Vizard's leader. "Peace!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

* * *

Ukiryuu and Ginjo were seated side by side on a sofa in front of a giant screen. Next to them, stood Renji and the 10th company captain Toshiro Hitsugaya who was also stationed in the human world. Ukiryuu broke the silence.

"I believe it's time to let you in on Dad's and my little secret."

Ginjo turned from his seat. "What secret?"

Ukiryuu explained it all to Ginjo as Ichigo had explained it all once to him. He concluded with, "Ginjo, you are the reincarnation of Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez, the sexta espada."

Ginjo narrowed his icy blue eyes. "What are you smoking? What is all this bull?" he snarled. "Do you expect me to believe this?"

"I'm afraid so," Ukiryuu muttered. "What other explanation would you have for this?"

Ginjo was silent. He suddenly straightened up. "What's that sizzling sound?"

"Is it the sound of your tiny brain sizzling inside that hot head think skull of yours?" Ukiryuu insulted him. "I don't hear any noise."

There was a louder sizzle, and the screen blinked to life. It showed and old man in a black robe and white hakama draped about his shoulders. He carried a staff and his long white beard was braided. Scars criss-crossed on the old man's bald head.

"Ukiryuu and Ginjo Kurosaki," the old man boomed. "I am Captain General of Soul Society, Genryuusai Yamamoto."

Ukiryuu nodded as if he understood completely. Ginjo was confused.

"What the hell is soul society?" he blurted.

The captain general did not seem to be provoked at the rash boy. "It is a place where souls go when they die."

Ginjo snorted derisively.

"You two possess immense spiritual powers," the captain general spoke, "being the sons of Ichigo Kurosaki and reincarnations of espadas. Do you know bankai?"

"I do," Ukiryuu answered.

Genryuusai nodded. "What about your brother?"

"What the hell is a bankai?"

The old man nodded again, understanding that Ginjo did not know what a bankai was. "There are two options. Well, we can grant you a Soul Reaper badge to allow you to use your powers, but you have to prove to me you will use your powers for good."

Ukiryuu nodded. "Sure."

"What's the other one?" Ginjo yawned.

"The other option is elimination."

The blue haired teen smartened up and gulped. "I'll go with the first option."

"While we look for missions for you to go on," the captain general began, "you can stay with my captains at this apartment flat."

The screen went blank.

"Aww…" Ginjo growled. "I want to go home!"

"Well you can't!" Toshiro came up to him and slapped the back of his head with a bamboo pole.

"Oww!" Ginjo yowled with pain like a cat.

"Ol' Yama thinks we can teach until we find a suitable mission for you," Renji said. "First, get some rest. Tomorrow we begin!"

"I don't need your help," Ukiryuu muttered coldly. "I taught myself Bankai already."

Renji laughed. "Skipping out on practice, eh? Well, I don't believe you, brat."

Ukiryuu glared at him cold serious with his green eyes narrowed. "Do you want to see?"

Renji guffawed. "Sure! Even though you're lying, I surprised you can keep a serious face like that! Oh…teaching bankai to yourself! People take hundreds of years to learn bankai, yet you only do it in a couple years. That's funny!"

"It's true," Ukiryuu replied calmly. "Fight you tomorrow, pedophile!"

"Bring it, kid!"

* * *

The next day, Ginjo was eager to see his brother fight the pedophile. He waited there an hour before the match was about to begin. After thirty minutes, Ukiryuu came into the arena.

"Oh goody," Ginjo grinned as he dug into a cup of ramen. "Finally you came."

"Where's the pedophile?" Ukiryuu asked as he set down his bag. He drew out Murciélgo with his hand.

"Oh, I wanna learn how to do that!" Ginjo grinned. "Can I see your sword?"

"No," Ukiryuu replied deftly as he began polishing it. "It's mine. When you manage to get your own, you'll see."

"How do you do that?" his confused brother grunted.

"Apparently, I knew my zanpakutou's name from my memories," Ukiryuu replied.

The door bursted open and Renji strode in with Toshiro. "Well, you're here now. Let's begin the duel."

The raven-haired teen nodded swiftly. "Bring it, pedophile."

The red haired captain glared at him viciously. "Don't call me pedophile! How many times does it take you to listen?"

"One for people that I serve," Ukiryuu stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Two for my father. A couple thousand times for you."

Renji wasted no words. He grabbed Ginjo and hurled him against the wall. "Stay back," he warned. "You might get hurt."

Ginjo reluctantly obeyed.

Ukiryuu unsheathed his blade. "Bind……Murciélgo."

An explosion of green spiritual energy blasted out and rattled the arena. Ukiryuu bankai form bursted out from the smoke. Below Ginjo gaped with amazement. Suddenly, he remembered everything.

He _was_ Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez, the sexta espada. He remembered his hate-love relationship with Ulquiorra. Ginjo hated the cuarta, except he still admired him in some sort of way.

"Yo, Ulquiorra!" Ginjo yelled. "Beat this guy for me 'Kay?"

"I'm not Ulquiorra anymore," Ukiryuu sighed. "I'm Ukiryuu Kurosaki."

Renji assessed Ukiryuu's bankai. He then drew his own zanpakutou. "Howl…Zabimaru!"

Smoke covered the captain as a huge snake head burst from the dirty brown mist. It was frilled with red and the blade resembled a spine with spikes coming off it. The spine connected to his sword.

Ukiryuu examined the captain's bankai. He analyzed the captain's strength and weaknesses from what he looked like with the bankai.

_The bankai is large,_ the black haired teen thought, _so it must be hard to wield._

Renji wasted no time and swung the huge zanpakutou. Ukiryuu dodged the spines by flying up.

"Very quick, eh?" Renji grinned as he swung the blade again, this time with a twist to his wrist so that while the sword is in swing, it flicked up and caught Ukiryuu against the wall.

The ex-espada growled with anger. He lifted the zanpakutou off his body. "Surprising, Abarai-san."

He then shot a cero from his finger. It was green, like his eyes.

"What?!" Renji gaped in shock. "Only hollows can do that!"

"Apparently, you've just been proven wrong," Ukiryuu replied and launched himself at Renji. "I'm not even going to Vizard just to challenge myself."

"Give me your all runt!" Renji roared.

"Too bad," Ukiryuu shot off high toward the ceiling. "Lanza de Relámpago!"

A lightning charged lance slammed into the ground next to Renji, blowing off huge chunks off rock in the arena. He began charging for another one.

Renji cursed like a sailor. He couldn't get high to be close to Ukiryuu, but he could do one thing which was his only long ranged attack. "Hikōtsu Taihō!"

A concentrated blast of red energy blasted toward Ukiryuu. It connected with him with an explosion.

Ginjo gaped. Was his brother defeated?

The 6th company captain grinned. "He lost."

"Not quite yet, Abarai-san."

Ukiryuu suddenly appeared next to Renji, the lightning lance against his throat. "You lose."

Renji glared at him. "Alright, alright then…I let my guard down."

Ginjo clapped his brother's back heartily. "Good job beating the pedophile!"

"Hey, hey!" Ukiryuu warned. "Watch the wings!"

"When can I learn to do the same awesome stuff as you?" the blue haired teen grinned. "I know what I do. Grind…Pantera!"

There was a burst of blue spiritual energy and Ginjo came out of it with an armor plate on his head and huge blue metal claws. Dangling from each gauntlet was a tail like appendage that was jointed and had spikes protruding out from even intervals.

"Cool," Ukiryuu replied deftly. His lance poofed back into a regular katana and the helmet flaked away and disintegrated. The wings disappeared.

"What?!" Ginjo glared. "That's all the praise I get after cheering you on? You ungrateful little—"

"Shut it," his brother warned.

"Alright, I'm going to have breakfast," Renji announced. "Good bye brats!"

Ginjo wrinkled his nose in anger.

"Well, I'm going to grab something to eat," Ukiryuu muttered.

The blue haired teen was left standing alone in his bankai form. He scratched his head. Then he ate his ramen.

"Well, since there's only me now," Ginjo thought, "I better get some practice so I can be stronger and beat that…that pedophile!"

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki lifted the tomb's door off the frame.

Rukia rubbed her hands with excitement. "Yay! This is the archaeological find of the century!"

The whole excavation team entered with him.

The tall orange haired man turned on his flashlight and shone it into the tomb. What he saw surprised him.

"What is that?"

Suddenly, the door slammed back into its frame. There was a horrible screeching and then blackness.

* * *

A/N: Apparently, i've been thinking of adding more details of Uki's fight with Ulqui.

What do you think?

Thanks for all the reviews! I appreciate all those who submit their opinion.


	5. Chapter 5

Chap Five

* * *

Ginjo's breath came out in ragged gasps as he practiced. This time, he really did practice hard. His blue reiatsu glowed dimmer and dimmer the more he worked out his attack, Desgarrón.

There were giant lacerations on the ground from his attack. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His Bankai form was what the former sixth Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez looked like, with the jawbone and forehead piece, but he had the blue gauntlets.

"Having fun?"

Ginjo turned to see his brother watching him silently from behind the door.

"How long have you been watching me?" the blue haired teen asked grumpily.

"How long?" Ukiryuu pondered in a sarcastic tone. "About the time when you actually started practicing."

The former sexta sheathed his zanpakutou. "Woot! I can do Desgarrón again!"

"Good job," Ukiryuu commented. He grabbed Ginjo by the scruff of his neck. "Hey, apparently, the pedophile wants us again."

"Oh, god," Ginjo groaned. "May he spare us from a horrible fate…"

"They found a mission for us," the former cuarta replied airily. He began sauntering away.

The brothers walked out of the practice room and through the halls. Toshiro the 10th company captain greeted them. "The view of your mission will be given to you in there."

The screen flickered to life and the captain general appeared. "Apparently, there has been a huge release of reiatsu in Egypt near the great Pyramids. I ask you two to check it out."

"That's it?" Ginjo furrowed his brows. He had wished for something more action related than reconnaissance.

"You might have to destroy what is emitting the reiatsu. Did I mention that your parents might be involved?"

Ukiryuu furrowed his brows in concern.

"Oh, then that's better," Ginjo muttered. "Can we go now?"

"Yes, my captain will transport you using shunpo," Yamamoto nodded.

Toshiro grabbed both of the boys and soon, they were off on their very first shinigami mission.

* * *

"Oh, damn it's hot out here!" Ginjo complained. He was dressed in the shinigami robe like his brother.

"Quit complaining," Ukiryuu glared at him. "We have to get to them fast. They could be in big trouble."

"Why do care about Kurosaki?" Ginjo asked at him. "He was the one who killed you."

"But now he is my father," the ex-espada answered deftly.

The blue haired teen nodded. "Whatever."

"Anyways," Ukiryuu muttered, "how did you die?"

Ginjo's eyes misted over in memories. "Well, after Nnoitra, that damned queer hit me, I bled to death with no regeneration powers of my own…"

"Bleeding to death?"

"Yeah," Ginjo reverted back to his normal state. "Kind of pathetic, don't you think? Beaten by Nnoitra!"

"Humph…he's just trash," Ukiryuu nodded. "I believe you can beat him, if you actually tried."

"What's like the first positive comment you've given me in the past 16 years! Wait, no, the past 200 years since I met you as vasto lorde," Ginjo exclaimed.

* * *

They arrived at their parents' dig sites. It was deathly quiet. The camp was left there as if nothing had happened. There was nothing but the eerie dirge of sand in the wind.

Ukiryuu sensed a dense, almost suffocating spiritual pressure. "Hold on."

Ginjo had sensed it as well. His ears twitched like a cat's. "I sense it too."

Massive amounts of reiatsu were emitted from the newly opened tomb. Ginjo tip-toed toward the door a peered in. "Ugh, what is that disgusting smell?"

Ukiryuu pushed him aside and walked down to the tomb.

* * *

Grinning, the being sensed a vasto lorde-like being go down to his domain. He had lain there for some four thousand years, his soul bound to the sarcophagus in which his mortal body had been buried in. After four thousand years, he had sensed it was time to come out.

* * *

The two ex-espadas did not know they were being watched by three people.

* * *

The former cuarta espada drew his zanpakutou warily. He might never know what could be down there.

Ginjo followed his brother cautiously, his eyes flickering from side to side as if something would spring at him and kill him. He felt someone's presence behind him.

"I have a bad feeling about this!" the blue haired teen voiced his thoughts aloud. He turned and slashed out with his shikai at the stalker.

"Wah!"

The girl narrowly missed being slashed in half by Ginjo's claws.

"You!" Ukiryuu exclaimed. "Orihime!"

The girl turned in confusion. "Who's that?"

Ukiryuu recognized the girl. It was definitely Orihime, but younger. But Orihime had died in the car crash accident. So how was she here now?

"You're her reincarnation," the former cuarta replied. "Orihime…"

The girl backed away. A tall brawny teen stepped to defend her. "Hey Ginjo! What are you doing down in Egypt?"

Ginjo recognized the dark blonde teen as someone in his homeroom. "Darius, what are _you_ doing down here, first?"

"Me?" Darius muttered. "Well, my dad decided to take us to Egypt because he felt something is wrong there."

"What is your dad then?" Ginjo asked. "A mystic?"

"No," Darius replied hotly. "Well, I can't tell you."

"Tell me," Ginjo whined. "Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with cherry on top."

"No."

"I won't tell anyone."

"No."

Ginjo gave the brawny teen his lost kitty look. Darius fell for it.

"Well, he's a demon."

"A demon?" Ukiryuu echoed thoughtfully. In his time as Ulquiorra Cifer, he had heard about these mysterious beings. Not truly dead, not truly alive, they wandered between the worlds with no where to belong. Demons often brought harm but some remain neutral. They were one of the only beings that shinigami did not have power over. Like hollows, they sometimes consume souls and sensed reiatsu acutely.

"Who's she?" Ginjo grunted.

"My sister," Darius answered. He observed the inside of the tomb. "Cody."

The light brown haired girl nodded. "Dad took us and said that we needed to see our heritage or something like that. He comes from the third dynasty Pharoah Khare, I think…"

"That's like," Ukiryuu pondered, "four thousand years?"

"Yes," Cody replied. "He's very, very old…"

"Now tell us why you are here, Ginjo," Darius poked the blue haired teen's shoulder.

"We're here on a secret mission," Ukiryuu answered swiftly as he climbed down the stairs.

"A very secret mission!" Ginjo added, with a knowing grin.

"Well, you better tell us what that is because I told you why were here," the dark blonde teen retorted.

Ukiryuu knew they wouldn't be leaving without an answer. "We were sent here by Soul Society."

"Ahh," Darius nodded. "I know about them. My dad told me about them."

Ginjo then began to elaborate on their mission. "We're here because we have to find out what's emitting the spirit particles. It could be something dangerous."

"Come, on!" Ukiryuu shouted down in the darkness. "We're wasting time!"

His brother nodded and followed down the steps. Darius and Cody began to follow.

"Hey!" the ex-sexta exclaimed. "Don't follow us here! It might be dangerous."

"Dangerous is my middle name," Darius replied.

"I can fend for myself more than you think I can!" Cody huffed.

Ukiryuu turned his eyes to Cody, with a soft expression in his eyes, like green velvet. "Please, I don't want you getting hurt. I'm not going to lose you again, Orihime."

Cody pursed her lips with annoyance. "Who is this Orihime person anyways?"

Ukiryuu sighed. "Well, ummm…"

The blue haired teen shook with silent laughter. He had never seen his brother speechless before.

"Aww, just come on down, Uki!" Ginjo grabbed his brother quite roughly.

"'Kay, bye!" the raven haired teen managed to yell before he was pulled down into the darkness.

Darius shrugged and began to follow. Cody followed him.

* * *

The reiatsu was dense almost like a suffocating blanket. The two shinigamis felt it was hard to breathe.

"Well, well, well," a deep voice boomed. "What've we got here?"

Something moved in the shadows.

"Show yourselves!" Ginjo yelled.

"Show myself?" the voice leered. "Why don't you turn on, oh what those infernal contraptions are…flashlights and show yourself first!"

"Can you please show yourself?" Ginjo asked with his lost kitty look.

Apparently, even though the something couldn't see them in the dark, he fell for it.

"Er hem…" he began. "I am the….Oh, Ra! Where are those trumpeters I ordered buried with me for my revival? Damned priests! Shaven headed, craven bastards!"

Ginjo giggled at the something. Ukiryuu turned on a flashlight and shone it at the speaker.

It was clearly a vasto lorde due to its human form. Horns jutted out from the skull-like face's cheek bones to curve around its jaw. Two more horns protruded from his forehead. The vasto lorde had a pharaoh's wig on his head. A linen kilt draped from a gold wired belt from waist down. Sharp claws tipped the vasto lorde's hands and a long spike studded tail swung behind.

The vasto lorde suddenly thrusted his hand into the ground and pulled something brown up. With the slightest disturbance on his usual frowning face, Ukiryuu noted that the thing in his claws was a mummy.

"Oh, start playing you idiot!" the vasto lorde snarled. "Humph! I guess no trumpets for me right now. Alright, here it goes again! I am the greatest pharaoh alive and dead! Of the whole universe has seen! I am Pharaoh Khufu! Builder of the great pyramids!"

"Okay…" Ginjo muttered boredly.

"You dare speak in my great presence?" Khufu roared with indignity. "Attack them, my minions!"

There was silence then, "Oh sweet mother of Ra! Why do they never listen to me?!"

Khufu broke the tiles of the floor and grabbed out a mummy. "Do you hear me? Or are you too deaf? Haha, get it? Death, deaf?"

Ginjo coughed slightly, but then to his horror, the mummy began to move.

"Good, now destroy them!"

The ground cracked even more and shrunken mummified hands erupted from the ground. The mummies clambered out and began advancing toward the two brothers.

"Oh no," Ginjo muttered.

"I will crush you like I did to the people who opened my tomb, even though, I should be thanking them, but who cares?!" Khufu roared with laughter.

"My parents?" Ukiryuu suddenly raged. "What did you do to them?!"

"You mean that orange haired fool?" Khufu murmured as he ferreted through a chest full of linen. "My, what a good state of preservation my old clothing are in!"

The mummies lumbered toward the two shinigamis baring sickle swords and woven reed shields.

"Grrr!" Ginjo growled. "They smell so bad!"

"What?!" Khufu snapped. "How dare you?! They smell perfectly fine! I had their bodies anointed with perfume from the Orient!"

"Apparently, not to me!" Ginjo retorted.

"Humph," the pharaoh growled. He turned to his minions. "All that matters is the king! Destroy them faster. Get their disgusting faces out of my sight!"

* * *

A/N: I try to do one chapter every week from now on

Then i'm working on a manga/novel with my friend of our own original idea.

Also, i'm now working on Ulquiorra and Orihime's past life in Egypt. Why Egypt? I think i know the most about that place and makes it easier to write about. It will be titled...Setting Sun, hopefully.

Reviews appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Chap Six

* * *

"Bankai!" Ginjo roared. Blue energy laced his body and enveloped him in glowing blue cocoon. Then a few seconds later, he erupted out of the ball with the sexta's jawbone, blue eye markings, and claws.

Ukiryuu muttered something under his breath and green energy covered him. He emerged with the former cuarta's signature horned helmet and tear marks.

"Oh, ho," Khufu grinned, amused. "What've we got here? Bankai already?"

"Exuro, fenix!"

A huge fire ball burst into the tomb, incinerating most of the mummies to dust.

"What's this?" Khufu's leer fell into an angry mask. "Pharos, what are you doing here?"

The fireball took form into a phoenix-griffin hybrid demon. The demon glared at Khufu indignantly.

"I'm not Pharos," he replied in a familiar voice. "I'm Darius. His powers resurrected in me. Is that a problem?"

"Whatever, fool," Khufu muttered and then stiffened. "You…you have Khare's blood in you…"

"Khare?" Cody strode out from behind a pillar. "Ole grand pappy?"

Khufu snorted. "Grand pappy? Is this what he is referred as to these days? It seems he has been doing nothing for the past several millennia. A smear on the name of Egypt, I say. Destroy them. Save Khare's kin for me. I shall relish having their guts scattered from here to the Orient."

The mummies grouped back together, even those burned reformed and staggered toward the trespassers.

"We only want our parents!" Ukiryuu demanded.

"We only want our parents!" Khufu mimicked in a mocking voice. "You will not get them. It has been a long time since I tasted souls." He then went to a corner and dragged out two unconscious bodies.

Ukiryuu moved to them as he recognized them as his parents. The mummies grouped together to block his way. They were incinerated by Cody's fire blast.

"Been up to new things?" Ukiryuu asked to Cody. "You never were this spunky in my past life."

"Quit your talking about the life we had before," Cody growled. "Why should I believe you?"

The former cuarta looked hurt. He reminisced back to Hueco Mundo.

* * *

_Orihime sat in the corner of her room on her bed. The moon cast its pale gaze on the lonely teenager perched on the bed._

"_Oh, please, Kurosaki-kun," she prayed. "Don't come here. You're only going to get hurt…"_

"_Woman?"_

_Orihime whipped around to see her silent statuesque guardian, the cuarta espada, Ulquiorra Cifer. He was carting around a trolley filled with her lunch._

"_Yes, Ulquiorra?" _

_The espada gestured to the food._

"_Not hungry," she muttered._

"_Eat," Ulquiorra gestured aggressively. "Otherwise I will have to force it down your throat."_

_Orihime shook her head more vigorously._

_The cuarta espada sighed. He suddenly lunged toward her and grabbed her head. Taking a spoonful of food, he shoved it into her mouth. Ulquiorra pinched her nose tight so if she wanted to breathe, she would have to swallow the food._

_The teenager swallowed the un-appetizing clod of rice in her mouth._

"_Please don't make me do this again," Ulquiorra muttered._

_Orihime nodded. Stonily, jerkily, she spooned the food into her mouth. Ulquiorra retreated to the safety of the couch and seated himself._

_As the girl ate, she began to think about her entire stay at this place. Ulquiorra kidnapping her and the like._

_Ulquiorra. His name had a nice ring to it. From the few Spanish phrases that Chad taught her, it sounded like "El Que Llora," he who cries. It suited him. In the first days that she had met him, he seemed cold, icy, and indifferent. He always the same, wearing that tear streaked mask and the beautiful green eyes which hid his sadness. The more time she spent with him, the more she had come to understand the cuarta espada. He had shed more of his icy demeanor._

"_El Que Llora," she murmured her thoughts aloud between two mouthfuls of food. _

"_Did you say something, woman?" Ulquiorra looked up from staring out the window._

"_Oh, nothing," Orihime blushed._

_The cuarta espada moved in his fluid stride toward her. "El Que Llora. He who cries."_

_The teenager looked up at her captor. "Hm. I always wondered how the arrancars only use Spanish."_

_Ulquiorra frowned. "It has always been like that." With that sentence, he took a seat next to her._

"_And is it only a coincidence that your name sounds like 'El Que Llora?'" Orihime asked as she traced her fingers along Ulquiorra's tear streaks._

_The arrancar flinched at her touch and drew back. The warmth of her was almost too much to take for his usual cold temperature, usually common to most hollows since they're dead (Aren't dead people cold?). _

_Ulquiorra blinked. "El Que Llora. Maybe, maybe not."_

"_He who cries," Orihime sighed under her breath. "Are you always this gloomy?"_

"_Gloomy?" Ulquiorra echoed._

"_Yup," the teenager nodded. "And does your helmet get in the way if you are washing your hair?"_

_The arrancar blinked again, speechless. "Just finish your meal."_

_Suddenly, to the arrancar, Orihime was uncomfortably close as she inspected his mask. "Can you take this off? Have you tried?"_

"_No," the espada replied._

"_Can I try?"_

_Ulquiorra shrugged._

_Orihime gently hooked her fingers around the rim of the helmet and gave it a gentle tug. It did not come loose. She tugged again, and yet it did not come off._

_Ulquiorra closed his eyes to block the image of Orihime's busty chest in front of his face._

"_It doesn't come off," Orihime finally declared after a few more tugs._

"_You are very curious, woman," Ulquiorra observed. "And I would prefer if you would not shove your chest in my face again."_

_Orihime blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ulquiorra-sama."_

"_Do not worry about that."_

_He didn't call me woman this time! The teenager thought._

_Inside, the espada felt more of his icy mask melt away. He knew he was becoming too attached to the prisoner he was supposed to guard.

* * *

_

Ukiryuu lurched back into the future. He shook his head. "Ugh…" he muttered under his breath. The ex-espada remembered force feeding her.

"Humph. Humans ain't no fun to play with," Khufu folded his arms across his chest. "Well, go get rid of them, my minions!"

Ginjo slashed a mummy in half. His brother speared a mummy through. Darius threw out fire bolts at the mummy. Cody amazingly drew out a sword and began hacking at them.

Despite their efforts, the mummies pressed on, doom inevitable for our little heroes.

"Incursio, incendia quod glacies!"

Khufu whipped around. "What is this? More demons?"

A huge dragon creature burst into the room. It possessed four wings, thick gray fur, a metal covering over his face, and talons, very sharp ones albeit.

"Let'em go, ass-wiping son of a bitch!" the dragon rumbled.

"What is this?" the vasto lorde snarled. "Who dares desecrate my name with such titles?"

The dragon cocked his head. "I should've known. It is you!"

"Szoran?!" Khufu exclaimed.

Szoran swept the small group of teens close to him with his large bushy tail. "You won't be hurting them under my watch, you wouldn't."

Ukiryuu coughed as a mouthful of fluffy gray fur filled his mouth. Ginjo yelped as the fur poked his eyes. Cody and Darius, now back in human form, cuddled close.

"Filthy humans and demons!" the vasto lorde/pharaoh/mummy thingy roared. He and his minions turned to dust and swept out of the tomb in a whirlwind of sand.

Szoran shielded them with his wings.

"Go, get your parents. There's a lot of explaining and joining of forces to do if you want to get that monster under control," the demon sighed wearily.

A/N: if you liked this story, you might like Las Noches Café! Find it in my stories page 

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


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